Conor Gallagher's all-action first start for England showed his unique skillset
By Sean Walsh
After impressing plenty in his loan spell with Crystal Palace this season, Conor Gallagher has worked his way into contention for a spot in England's squad at this winter's World Cup.
The hustling and bustling 22-year-old has been one of the breakout stars of this season, playing a key role as the Eagles have avoided a post-Roy Hodgson hangover that made onlookers fear for their top-flight survival.
What was meant to be an evolution has quickly become a revolution at Selhurst Park, with Patrick Vieira embracing youthfulness and seeing three of his boys-turned-men called into Gareth Southgate's squad for the March internationals.
Marc Guehi and Tyrick Mitchell made their debuts in England's 2-1 win at home to Switzerland on Saturday, while Chelsea loanee Gallagher made his first start for the Three Lions.
And from the off, he made sure to leave a lasting impression.
The midfielder certainly wasn't fazed by the occasion, and in fact looked far more comfortable than the senior Jordan Henderson and Mason Mount he was deployed alongside.
Gallagher went snapping into challenges (notably cleanly) and tried setting the tempo for an England side who were largely second-best in the first half.
His enthusiasm seemed infectious, helping the timid Kyle Walker-Peters to emerge from his shell and play a crucial role in the build up to England's equaliser. The Southampton full-back threw himself in front of a Switzerland ball from the back, and Gallagher squared for Luke Shaw to smash home in stoppage time.
After the break, Gallagher continued to lead England's forays into the Swiss half, releasing the unusually quiet Harry Kane for his first shot of the match.
Southgate decided to hook Gallagher after an hour, and the youngster's only disappointment will be that his replacement, the relatively experienced Declan Rice, almost single-handedly pulled England's midfield together.
This isn't to Gallagher's discredit - he's a box-to-box midfielder who needs to be in the thick of the action - but it shows the profile needed for England to have more control in their games. Southgate's switches - later bringing on Jude Bellingham to help Rice out - helped turn the tide in the hosts' favour and they were good value for their comeback win.
But nobody in the current England setup has a profile like Gallagher's. No single midfielder has that amount of energy, a desire to genuinely arrive and make a difference in both boxes.
Come November and the time comes to picking a final 23-man squad, Gallagher should rest assure that his unique skillset should land him a place on the plane to Qatar, and he has a half-decent chance of arriving there as a starter for Chelsea.